Source: New Zealand Ministry of Health
Publication date:
The Action to Prevent and Reduce Substance Harm 2026-2029 (the Plan) builds a foundation for a comprehensive and strategic health-system response to address substance-related harm.
The Plan sets out the key actions the health system will undertake to strengthen New Zealand’s health response to the increasing substance-related harm experienced by individuals, families and communities across the four priority areas of the mental health portfolio.
- Prevention and early intervention: Strengthening health promotion, harm reduction, drug checking, early warning systems and early support across frontline services.
- Access to services: Improving access to timely, flexible and community based support so people and families have a range of options where they can get help.
- Growing the workforce: Building a skilled, supported and culturally safe addiction workforce, including peer support and lived experience roles.
- System effectiveness: Strengthening leadership, contemporary models of care, and better data and performance monitoring.